Power Rangers: Medieval Knights
by Spaz Kid
Summary: When the evil warrior wizard Draconus and his minions are accidentally unleashed upon the kingdom of Elnor, a mystical being known as Othor gathers a team of resilient teens to battle the forces of evil and keep their world safe. In order to defeat Draconus and his army of underworld creatures, the teens will need to become the Powers Rangers: Medieval Knights!
1. Chapter 1

EPISODE 1 – RETURN OF DRACONUS, PART 1

Leaves and twigs crackled beneath her feet as she made her way through the dense forest. Songbirds lilted and chirped in the air and thin beams of sunlight filtered through the branches above, letting her know that she still had time left in the afternoon before she had to hurry back and sneak into the castle before she would be missed.

Ella clutched the loose folds of her gown, careful to avoid tripping over it as she traversed fallen logs and skipped over patches of moss and leaves. She looked in all directions, alert and focused. She had been wandering the forest for nearly two hours now, and her time of freedom was running short. Where was he?

"Alistair?" she called out, hoping to hear a response, but all she heard back was the soft whisper of wind through the trees and the gentle sounds of a small brook lapping the banks of a gulley nearby.

"Alistair, where are you?" Ella tried calling again, a slight edge of frustration in her voice. It wouldn't be long before her father sent one of his many employees to come and check on her and if the king knew she had sneaked out of the castle, she would surely be punished.

Thinking the entire journey through the forest had been a total waste of time, Ella turned and began a sullen trip back to the castle, defeated and dejected. She'd hoped she would get to spend some quality time with Alistair, considering that if she was seen with him anywhere in the kingdom, she would instantly be put under scrutiny, by not only the entire royal family, but the community at large as well.

Sighing deeply, she trudged onward, not even caring anymore when stray flecks of dirt and mud splashed up onto the hem of her dress. But then, a pair of cool, smooth hands pressed over her eyes, pulling her back against a firm, muscular body. Ella gasped, grabbing her would-be attacker's elbows.

"Ella, relax!" a familiar voice called out, and she spun around to face Alistair, sighing in relief. Her handmaidens were always warning her about the dangers that lurked out in the woods, but Ella would never listen to them. She would face any fear for the chance to be face to face with Alistair. "It's me, my princess."

"Don't call me that," Ella mumbled nervously, fiddling with the loose strands of her wild, curly red hair that had begun to come loose from the beautiful braid one of her handmaidens had woven for her that morning after breakfast. Alistair caressed her fair cheeks, his kind brown eyes crinkling with a smile. "You know that's not who I really am."

"You can't deny what you are," Alistair said softly. Ella looked deep into his eyes, then down at their feet. Hers, encased in the finest, bejeweled slippers in the kingdom of Elnor, his in ratty, tattered work boots, singed by the stray embers of a blacksmith shop. He pulled her chin back up to face him. "None of us can."

"That's easy for you to say," the princess replied defiantly. "You've always known exactly who you are." She clasped the outside of his hands, still gently cupping her face. She longed for him to kiss her, but she knew that time was running out and it wouldn't be long before people around the castle began to notice her absence.

"Being a blacksmith isn't all there is to me," Alistair clarified with a chuckle.

"I know," Ella said, as if that was the point she had made. "You don't have this weight on your shoulders. I'm expected to be somebody…important. Somebody who is a leader. But that isn't me. I'm not a leader."

"We all have ways of making a difference," Alistair said, pulling at a strand of her hair playfully, before brushing her cheek with a soft, gentle kiss. "Speaking of, isn't today some sort of important day for you?"

Ella sighed, tugging away from his embrace, despite feeling so comfortable there. He had brought up an important point, one she had secretly been trying to avoid for several days. Her father was planning to break new ground on a new castle today, one that would eventually be her own home after she came of age.

"I can't stand all of the attention," Ella mumbled uncomfortably. "Everyone in the kingdom will be staring at me."

"Including me," Alistair reminded her, giving her that smile that made her stomach want to do flip flops and made her knees go weak. "I'll be watching you very closely, indeed, Princess Ella. My princess."

Ella blushed, hating the name, but loving how it made her feel when he said it.

* * *

Deep within the bowels of King Elias's castle, the kitchen was bustling with activity and buzzing with excitement. Maids, butlers, servants and cooks fluttered in all directions to and fro, moving in and out of the massive, stone kitchen and hurrying off into other parts of the castle to do their daily chores.

Meanwhile, Raven was knee-deep in vegetable skins and peels, her arms and fingers a flurry of movement as she sliced, diced and chopped. As the youngest assistant chef for the royal family, she knew the meaning of hard work, and never let the pressure get to her. She had been working in the castle ever since she'd been a child, and despite never actually meeting any of the royal family face to face, she loved her job.

"How are my sauces coming?" Raven called over to one of the line cooks. An older woman with withering silver hair and wrinkled skin lowered her face over a boiling pot, breathing deep as she continuously stirred the dark liquid within.

"Slowly," the cook replied grimly.

Raven kept chopping, sighing deeply. She and the entire staff were working double time preparing for the ground-breaking ceremony and the reveal for the plans for the additional castle that would be built in honor of Princess Ella, the sole heir of the kingdom. Time was not a luxury that they could afford to bear, and Raven knew that if she didn't figure something out quickly, everything would be ruined.

"You look like you could use some help," a voice called from across the kitchen. Raven looked across the cavernous room and saw a shock of wild, wavy brown hair sticking out above a massive pile of dough, tiny flecks of flour sprinkled throughout the strands. The head attached to the unmanageable mop of thick brown hair popped up over the dough, revealing the Cheshire cat grin of Silas, the baker boy.

"Don't you have a pie to bake, Silas?" Raven snapped, feeling edgy.

"Oh, I've been done for hours," Silas replied, leaning an elbow into the soft, mushy mound of dough lain out on the table before him, sinking into it just slightly. "I'm just here to watch you and see if you actually finish on time."

Undeterred by Silas's ribbing, Raven continued chopping, mincing carrots into tiny shreds, chopping onions into fine strands and slicing cucumbers into perfect, thin circles. She blew a stray strand of light blond hair out of her face, focusing on the task before her. She knew that if she didn't complete this feast, the king would be very disappointed.

"This is hopeless," one of the cooks wailed, checking one of the massive turkeys roasting in the fires of the stone oven. "Nothing is ready yet!"

Raven straightened her apron, wiping stray bits of food and creams off the fabric, standing up straight, a defiant look in her eyes.

"We are going to finish," she declared. She shot a venomous look towards Silas, who continued to leer at her from the other side of the kitchen with that goofy grin he always seemed to have plastered on his face. "And without any help, either."

Silas propped his elbows on the table before him, leaning his chins into his open palms, chuckling softly as Raven continued to prepare for the feast. He knew that Raven was under a lot of pressure, but he just couldn't resist poking fun at her. It was just too easy.

"Let me know if you change your mind," he offered, winking. He began to walk out of the main kitchen and back into his baking room, where he would do one last run through of checking all of the various cakes, pies, cookies and desserts he and his team had been slavishly preparing for the kingdom.

"Never gonna happen!" Raven called out, determined as ever. With a grunt of exertion, she lifted a giant bowl up onto the counter before her and started mixing all of the ingredients together she'd been preparing. She would finish this, and she would do it all by herself. Of that, she was absolutely sure.

She hoped.

* * *

Wesley watched through the window of his cobbler's shop as the villagers of Elnor began to crowd the streets, heading towards King Elias's castle for the massive festival that was due to take place later that day. He was whittling away on the soles of some boots for one of the king's guardsman, sweat trickling down his temples.

"I want to go to the festival," he mumbled to himself in a faux baby voice.

"'No, you have to keep working'," he replied in another, gruff voice. "'You're never allowed to have any fun. You have to work, work, work!"

Sighing, Wesley looked down at the boots he was working on, and for what felt like the millionth time, imagined what his life would be like if he hadn't been born a commoner, just the son of a cobbler, made to work day and night to help support the family. He wished that he was preparing the boots for himself, so he could be one of the brave guards of the castle, brandishing a sword and shield, serving the King.

Alas, that life was for somebody else. Not puny, weak little Wesley. Wesley the Wimp, other kids in the village called him. He was smaller than the other guys his age, and had never developed muscles and toned features like some of the other young men. Young men who would someday try out to be guards and archers and knights for the king.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Wesley's father asked, emerging from the back of the shop, laden down with a giant pile of various shoes belonging to the villagers they lived amongst. Some of them were even from the castle. "You know you should be focusing on your work, Wesley. Not on all of those strange fantasies in your head."

"They aren't fantasies, father," Wesley replied softly.

"What's that?" his father demanded, setting the shoes down on a nearby work bench. His large, square shoulders and his imposing figure made Wesley shrink back, clutching the guard's boot close to his chest. "I'm not sure I heard you."

The tone of his voice made it perfectly clear how he really didn't want to hear what Wesley had actually said. All his father really cared about was work, and pleasing the customers. He didn't believe anything else existed outside of this shop. He didn't believe that you could chase a dream or aspire to be something more.

"Nothing," Wesley mumbled, lowering his face. His father grunted in approval, and something deep inside of Wesley called out to him. He wasn't going to be like his father. He was old enough now to make his own choices. He could be anything he wanted to be. He stood up and dropped the boot. "No. You know what? It wasn't nothing."

Wesley's father looked at him, surprised.

"I'm going to the festival, father," Wesley continued, and his father's eyes widened. "I know you want me to stay here and work, but I can't stop wanting to live my life because you said so. I have to go out into the world."

His father was silent for a moment, and Wesley was afraid of what might happen next. Would he yell, would he throw something?

"You know something, boy," his father intoned. "You're right."

Wesley could have been knocked over by a feather. He couldn't believe what he was actually hearing! Had his father actually listened to him? Had he actually agreed with him? Maybe this was all it took, to stand up to him and show him that he was becoming a man of his own, now.

"I…I am?" Wesley sputtered.

"Yes," his father said gravely, nodding. "I think it is time for you to go out into the world. And I see now that you were never really a part of this family. It's time for you to leave, and you must never come back."

Wesley gasped in shock. But shock became resignation. This may not have been what he was expecting, or even wanted, but if he was ever going to go out into the world and live his life the way he had always dreamed, this might be his only chance. He let the guard's boot topple to the floor and stood.

He approached the door, leading outside into the wide, open world that now seemed to be beckoning Wesley into its embrace.

"Goodbye, father," he whispered. As he left the shop, feeling as though he sun was touching his skin for the first time, he no longer felt like Wesley the Wimp. This was the start of an entirely new life for him. What it would bring, he had no idea. He would miss his family, of course, but sometimes, Wesley knew that you had to make a sacrifice to get what you wanted.

And so, with his father's voice ringing in his ears, Wesley made his way out into the village, the great King Elias's castle looming above him far in the distance. He joined the excited throngs of people happily making their way towards the festival, and for the first time in what felt like years, Wesley smiled.

* * *

Hundreds of people had gathered in a large clearing, not far from the main castle, where a large wooden stage had been erected for the royal family to preside over their kingdom. Ella sat next to her father, along with other appointed figures of the royal family, with cousins and her and aunts and uncles filling the rest of the chairs. She looked over the crowd, searching for Alistair, knowing she would feel better after seeing him.

And there he was, shouldering his way through the crowds, trying to get as close as possible to the stage. Immediately, a smile took over her face, and she felt at ease. She always hated being a part of these types of royal events, especially one that turned the focus onto her. She never wanted to be a princess. She never wanted to be a ruler.

"People of Elnor," her father, the mighty King Elias, intoned, standing from his temporary throne. He looked very regal in his finely woven robes, the delicate crown gently nestled amongst his fiery red curls, so similar to Ella's own. "Thank you for coming to witness this glorious occasion."

The villagers and royal supporters alike cheered and cried out in excitement. In moments like this, all ideas of class and wealth were set aside for the support of the kingdom. If anything could be said about Elnor, it was that its people were very supportive and dearly loved their king and his family.

"As you all know, my dear daughter Ella is soon to come of age," Elias continued, proudly presenting Ella to the crowds. She blushed, smiling, but embarrassed. She rose from her seat to an uproar of applause and cheers, and managed to catch Alistair's line of sight as he whistled and clapped for her. "As she begins her journey into adulthood and claims her right to one day be Queen of Elnor, we are gathered here to witness the groundbreaking of her very own castle, which will be built in this very spot!"

Once again, the people of Elnor went absolutely crazy. The excitement was nearly too much for them all to bear. Ella couldn't believe that they were getting so worked up over something that, to her, seemed so silly. They were making such a big deal out of this. But, she supposed, that many of them were living vicariously through this moment.

"I call on my guards, for the ceremonial ground breaking," Elias called, motioning for the impeccably dressed guards to circle around a large patch of dirt that had been perfectly circled in the ground before the stage. The guards withdrew their swords, pointing them into the sky, the sunlight glinting off the metal blades. "With this, we embark on our future. The future of Elnor, and the future of my beloved daughter, Princess Ella!"

At once, all twelve gathered guards stabbed their swords into the ground, the blades sinking deep below the surface of the earth. For a moment, there was only silence. But then, something strange occurred.

A great, bellowing roar bubbled up from beneath the ground. The onlookers surrounding the sight began to mumble amongst one another, edging away from the site of the future castle. The ground began to quake and rumble. The guards seemed to be unable to release their grips on their swords. A crackle of electricity shot up from the ground, jumping from blade to blade, sending each of the guards flying back, propelled by the charge.

Many people cried out or screamed, and some began to run. Ella rushed to the edge of the stage, trying to get a closer look at what was going on. She saw Alistair helping one of the guards get back to his feet, and that he had toppled over several people when he'd been flung back into the crowds.

"Oh no," Ella whispered. Something was coming. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew it wasn't going to be something good.

* * *

On the other side of the ground breaking site, Raven and Silas stood next to the feast that was being presented for the entire kingdom. They watched as the guards struck their swords into the ground, and saw the flash and crackle of lightning as the blades pierced the earth.

"What was that?" Raven cried, rushing around to the front of the table, Silas hot on her heels. They were being bombarded by a stampede of villagers attempting to escape the melee. One of the guards was tossed to his back nearby, and he struggled to get to his feet again, his uniform scorched and scratched.

"Are you alright?" Silas asked, kneeling next to the guard. He was stunned speechless, unable to make any sounds. Silas looked up at Raven, shrugging his shoulders. Raven cupped a hand over her forehead, staring back out into the masses. The electricity was growing between the swords, pulsating into a brighter light, growing into a massive form.

"Something is coming out of the ground!" she exclaimed.

The two of them came to stand shoulder to shoulder, staring into the crackling lights of the energy that was growing into a column of swirling beams of lightning. Shadows moved within them, and they almost looked…alive.

"Are you seeing this?" Silas breathed. Raven couldn't look away. She could only nod, knowing that Silas's eyes were also fixed on the swirling energy as well.

Whatever was coming, it was about to be here soon.

* * *

Wesley was jostled left and right by hundreds of villagers fleeing from the festival, running away in abject terror. He pushed his way through the crowds, desperate to see what all of the commotion was about. He wasn't about to let his first adventure out into the real world be prematurely ended because something scary had happened.

He reached the site of the festival and saw as more villagers attempted to escape that some sort of column of bright, yellow and gold energy was bursting from the ground, swirling ominously above the terrified villagers. He saw a young man with shoulder-length brown hair and a leather tunic helping a group of frightened children get away from the bolts of crackling energy that were being dispelled.

"What is that?" Wesley cried. The young man spun to face him, his kind eyes furrowed in concentration and focus.

"You'd better get out of here!" he called out. "It's not safe here!"

In that moment, brilliant bolts of lightning exploded from the swirling mass of energy, spreading across the crowds like darts. One of them went straight into the king's chest, sending him flying backwards off the stage. Wesley saw Princess Ella scream in horror, sinking to her knees to avoid another stray bolt.

"Ella!" the young man in the tunic screamed. Wesley followed him as he rushed past the energy towards the stage. They were joined by two others, a young blond girl covered in various bits of food and a boy with unruly hair dusted with flour. "We have to save her!"

The four of them converged on the stage as more bolts shot out of vortex, striking various guards and villagers, sending them tumbling and cavorting across the ground like playthings being tossed about by a giant child.

A flaming sword emerged from the energy beams, slicing it open.

"Alistair!" Princess Ella called out, climbing to the edge of the stage. He reached up and grabbed her by the shoulders, tugging her down to join the group.

"I've got you," Alistair said softly, pulling her close.

"My father -," she started to say, but the blond girl interrupted her.

"Look!" she screamed. The others followed her command and saw that the energy was finally beginning to dispel, revealing a truly terrifying sight. A massive half-human, half-lizard looking creature now stood before them, brandishing the flaming sword. He wore metallic bits of armor held together with pleated leather, and his skin was made of dry, peeling scales. His face protruded into a snout, like a dragon, filled with venomous looking fangs. His hands ended in spindly fingers topped with razor sharp claws. Next to him was a dangerously beautiful but dark specter of a woman with a waterfall of deep, dark black hair spilling over her shoulders. She was cinched into a tight black leather corset that led down into a multi-layered black and gray dressed. Her eyes were aglow with a deep, fiery red.

"At last!" the lizard-man growled. "We have returned! Now the kingdom of Elnor will pay for ever trying to defeat the mighty Draconus!"

With a blast of swirling energy, he began to swing his massive flaming sword towards the five youths huddled before him. They braced themselves, knowing their ends surely must be near. As the blade hurtled towards them, everything turned a bright, brilliant white.

And then…blackness.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Chapter 2

EPISODE 2 – RETURN OF DRACONUS, PART 2

The brilliant white light faded, leaving Alistair stunned and feeling blinded. He had fully expected to be sliced in half by that beast's sword. However, he now found himself in what appeared to be some sort of underground chamber. Roots and trunks surrounded him on all sides, vines climbing the surreal, glowing cave-like walls.

"Where…where are we?" he asked aloud. He saw that the others were huddled next to him in the exact same positions they had been in at the festival. Ella, crouched at his side, distressed and worried about her father. The small, wiry boy that had stayed at his side as they attempted to help others. And on his other side, a shy but determined looking girl with nearly white-blond hair, clinging to a boy with crazy dark hair and an impish grin.

"It looks like we're underground," the blond said softly, quickly letting go of the grinning boy once she realized she was tightly grasping his arm. He chuckled as she shoved herself away from him, huffing.

"The real question is, how did we get here?" the boy asked. He turned to Alistair, holding his hand out to shake. "Name's Silas, by the way. The frightened girl you just saw holding onto me is Raven. She's a cook."

"Chef," Raven corrected stiffly, wiping dust and grime off her apron.

"I'm Alistair," he responded, shaking Silas's hand. Ella hung back, half-hiding behind Alistair's imposing form, as if she didn't want to face the others. "I think you all probably know the Princess."

"I can't believe I'm seeing you up close," Wesley said, awestruck. Then, feeling awkward with all of the attention on him, he added, "I'm Wesley. I make shoes. I used to, anyway. Nothing like being royalty."

"I'm really no one special," Ella said, blushing uncontrollably. She always felt that way whenever someone from the kingdom met her face to face. She just saw herself as a normal girl, one with hopes and dreams just like everyone else, not some political figure. And yet here was this wisp of a boy staring at her as if she were some great war hero.

"I think the more important thing is figuring out how to get out of here," Raven said, interrupting the moment.

"Raven's right," Alistair said decisively. He had been working as a blacksmith ever since he was a child, learning everything from his grandfather. His parents had passed away from a mysterious illness back when he was a small child, and his grandfather had instilled the importance of leadership and quality work ethic in him since a young age. Some people found this off-putting, but Alistair found it came to him naturally.

"So how do you propose we do that, Miss Genius?" Silas asked.

"Everyone spread out, look for a door, or an exit," Raven suggested, shrugging her shoulders. She was used to giving orders, but that was in the kitchen, where she felt most comfortable. In this strange underground cavern, she might as well have been stranded on the moon for all she knew on the subject.

"You heard the lady," Alistair said, nodding towards Silas. Rolling his eyes, the cheeky baker slunk off to another part of the cavern to explore. Raven and Wesley headed in another direction, leaving Alistair alone with Ella in the center, where they had appeared. She shivered, her gown wet and clinging to her body. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said too quickly, sniffling a little. She gave him a look of consternation when he seemed to linger on his concern for her. "I'm stronger than I look, you know. I might be a princess, but I know a thing or two."

"Oh, really?" Alistair asked, raising an eyebrow with a wry grin.

"Stick around and maybe you'll find out," she teased, lightly punching him on the shoulder. She swept her hair back off her shoulders and took a deep breath. "Come on. Don't we have a dark, mysterious cave to explore?"

She took off in another direction apart from the others, and Alistair followed, and he couldn't help but be impressed.

* * *

Wesley and Raven found themselves in a wide corridor that seemed to permeate with an unseen light source, glinting off the rock walls, making them sparkle like diamonds. They looked in all directions, but there didn't seem to be an entrance or exit in sight.

"What do you think this place is?" Wesley asked.

"I'm more worried about what's going on outside," Raven replied, wringing her hands worriedly. "You saw that thing that attacked the festival. Whatever it was, it looked…pure evil. I don't even want to think about what it might be doing to the kingdom."

"Yeah, that was scary," Wesley agreed, shivering involuntarily. He may have always been called Wesley the Wimp and hated it, but he couldn't help but be afraid when he saw the monstrous creature that had burst from the ground. It already felt like a lifetime had passed in his mind, with all of the thoughts that had been racing through it since that moment. "Who do you think those…creatures…were?"

Raven sighed, putting her hands on her hips. She could already tell that this guy was the type to keep on talking, even when there wasn't anything to say. A burst of annoyance flushed through her, making her cheeks blush.

"Do I look like I have any answers?" she asked plaintively. Wesley recoiled, biting his lip. He hadn't meant to make her upset. But he was used to being yelled at, considering his father had ordered him around at the cobbler's shop all of his life. Raven's features softened when she realized what she'd done, and she sighed softly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just…I wish we knew what was going on. That's all."

"We'll figure it out," Wesley said hopefully, and smiled supportively.

Raven smiled back. Maybe this kid wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

On the far side of the forest, beyond the mountains, there is a part of Elnor that has never been traveled and where no one lives. In this barren, desert-like wasteland there stood a massive, dilapidated castle that had been empty for centuries. Very few people in the kingdom had ever even seen it in person, but had heard stories about it over the generations.

But now, the true owner of the castle had finally returned.

Draconus and his bride materialized just outside the castle. It was falling apart, barely holding itself together through sheer will power. Vines covered nearly the entire outside of the stone building and some of the walls were caved in, revealing gaping, sore-like holes in the structure. The main tower was half destroyed, leaving a precarious plateau on top where one could stand and survey the surroundings.

"Welcome back home, my love," Draconus growled, presenting the destroyed castle with a regal sweep of his arm.

"It hasn't held up too well," Lady Grave said sardonically, sneering distastefully.

"We will fill it with the screams of our enemies and the howls of the tortured innocent," Draconus seethed, flexing his powerful muscles, stretching his sharp claws.

"Home sweet home," Lady Grave cooed. He began to lead his bride towards their former home, thoughts of restoring it to its former unholy glory filling their heads.

"But first, we must retrieve the Gem of Attrax," Draconus grimaced. "We don't stand a chance of opening the portal to the underworld without it."

"Isn't the Gem in the king's castle?" Lady Grave asked tensely.

"Yes," Draconus confirmed, plucking a dry, peeling scale from his skin. He grunted in exertion, but felt no pain. Dragons rarely, if ever, felt anything. Except for maybe rage or a thirst for conquest.

He flung the scale to the ground and Lady Grave waved her hands over it, whispering ancient, arcane words. Blue, fire-like energy erupted from her fingers, enveloping the scale. Moments later, it transformed into a squadron of a dozen reptile-like lizard-men, the vile couple's henchman, the dragonoids.

The dragonoids moved with jerky, erratic movements, their tongues flitting in and out of their dragon-like snouts, their skin a dark, sickly green. They were clad in thin, form fitting armor, their clawed hands and feet free to attack. They watched their masters with wide, unblinking yellow eyes, awaiting their command.

"Dragonoids – attack the king's castle!" Draconus ordered. "Retrieve the Gem of Attrax from the king's crown, and deliver it to me. If anyone gets in your way, destroy them."

The dragonoids took off at a sprint, headed towards the village outside the castle, leaving Draconus and Lady Grave to begin further preparations within their castle. They had much to do before they could bridge the gap to the underworld once more.

"Do you think they will be successful, my love?" Lady Grave asked.

"There's no one to stop us," Draconus said, laughing darkly.

* * *

Deep within the underground cavern, Silas wandered aimlessly, kicking a stray pebble on the ground. He couldn't believe that jerk Alistair had ordered him around like that, just because he had tried to poke a little fun at Raven. Who did that guy think he was, anyway?

Silas found himself in a new chamber of the cavern, with a circular, upraised crater in its center. He approached it slowly, his footsteps echoing. Inside the crater was a strange, roiling silvery-white liquid that rippled and waved, despite nothing moving within it. He stared down at the small pool of liquid, his reflection looking back up at him.

"Welcome, my child," a voice emanated from within the liquid. Silas fell back, startled. Had that voice really just come from within the liquid?

"Uh, guys?" Silas called out over his shoulder. "You might want to check this out!"

Moments later, the others found themselves in the same chamber, gathering behind Silas, staring at the moving pool of liquid.

"Did you find a way out?" Raven asked.

"No, but this pool of water just spoke to me," Silas replied, folding his arms across his chest contemplatively.

"It…talked?" Wesley asked timidly.

"Yes," the voice replied, startling them all. "I have awaited your arrival for some time now. I am happy to finally meet you all in person. However, I wish it could be under much better circumstances."

The group exchanged nervous glances.

"Who are you?" Alistair called out, looking in all directions, hoping to find the true source of the voice, but all there was in the chamber was the crater and the liquid within it. "And what do you mean, meet us in person?"

"Do you know who we are?" Ella asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course, Ella," the voice responded, echoing throughout the chamber. They could now hear that the voice was warm and friendly, and the more it spoke, it filled them all with a strange sort of inner calm. "I have been keeping track of you all ever since the moment you were born. Watching and waiting for this moment to arrive."

"What moment is that?" Silas asked warily.

"The evil dragon wizard Draconus has finally returned to Elnor," the voice answered. "He is an ancient warrior who made a deal with the underworld thousands of years ago to be their emissary of evil. He and his bride, Lady Grave, have conspired to control our world and erase the border between us and the underworld."

"Underworld?" Wesley gulped.

"Dragons?" Raven cried, flabbergasted.

"This can't be real," Silas said defiantly.

"I assure you, Silas, it is all very real," the voice responded assuredly. "My name is Othor. I am also a wizard. But centuries ago, in a battle that raged for years, Draconus was finally imprisoned, and the price I paid was giving up my corporeal form and I have been trapped inside this pool ever since."

"You stopped him?" Alistair asked, an edge to his voice. "Before?"

"Yes," Othor replied, sounding weary. "But it was not without sacrifice, and many hard-fought battles. I led a team that tirelessly fought Draconus and his minions. I knew that one day, Draconus would somehow become free once again, and I would need a new team of warriors to fight him upon his return."

"What does that have to do with us?" Ella asked apprehensively.

"Your destinies were always meant to intersect," Othor replied. "From the moment you each arrived in this existence, your fates have been sealed. You will take over where myself and my former team left off. You will be given great power, and with it, you will fight against Draconus in order to save our world."

"Power?" Silas asked, intrigued.

"Yes, the powers of the Knight Rangers have always been deep within you, just waiting for the time they were needed," Othor explained. "Great responsibility comes with that power, and so if you feel any doubt that you should not be here, despite centuries of what has foretold this moment, you may tell me now, and I will release you. However, know that will surely doom all of Elnor, and Draconus will succeed in his mission."

"So that's it," Raven said sternly. "We say yes, or the world is lost."

"No pressure, there," Silas quipped.

Wesley stepped forward, holding his head up bravely, despite the fact that his legs were wobbling and his stomach was doing flip-flops.

"I'm in," he said defiantly. The others cocked their heads in his direction, shock painting their features. No one would have ever expected him to volunteer first for danger. But Wesley was ready to stop being Wesley the Wimp. This was his chance to start over.

"I'll do anything to protect our world," Alistair said, stepping forward as well. Silas rolled his eyes and scoffed. Raven elbowed him in the gut, and he promptly shut up, rubbing his side ruefully.

"I want to help, too," Raven said decisively.

"Okay, fine, if everyone else is going to do it," Silas said drily, stepping forward to join the others. Everyone turned their attention to Ella, who was nervously fiddling with the material of her gown behind them all.

"And you, Ella?" Othor asked patiently.

"I'm not a warrior," Ella said plaintively. "I'm…I'm a princess. But…I've never wanted to be a princess either. I've always wanted to do something bigger, greater. Something that could make a real difference. So I guess this is it."

"Prepare for the ritual," Othor intoned. "Each of you possesses a spirit of the knight. With this power, you will officially become the Knight Rangers."

A brilliant charcoal-gray column of light exploded from the ceiling, enveloping Wesley within it. He jumped, startled, but quickly realized it was not going to hurt him.

"Wesley – quiet and noble, you will wield the power of the Gargoyle," Othor decreed. A moment later, a flash of light passed over Wesley's body, and he was suddenly outfitted in shining black plated armor, his visor shaped into the menacing face of a gargoyle.

Yellow light washed over Raven, as Othor called out:

"Raven – agile and sharp, you will control the power of the Roc." As he spoke the words, yellow plated armor appeared across her body, her visor ending with the viciously sharp beak of a roc.

"Alistair," Othor said, as a column of fiery red light washed over him, "Brave and powerful, you shall hold the power of the Chimera." Red-plated armor spread across Alistair's body like a wave, his visor the fierce, lion visage of the chimera.

Silas was plunged into a cone of blue light.

"Silas – quick and cunning, you bear the power of the Basilisk," Othor spoke. Blue-plated armor covered his body in that moment, his visor bearing the serpentine mouth of the venomous basilisk.

"And Ella," Othor added, as a bright pink wave of light crashed down over the princess. "Serene and swift, the power of the Pegasus is yours to command." Pink-plated armor shone as it snapped into place across her body, her visor the regal head of the Pegasus.

"You are now the mighty Knight Rangers," Othor finished, and with a flash, the lights dissipated and the armor vanished along with it. The five youths could still feel the power coursing through their veins, making them feel strong and powerful. "With this great power, you will pledge to fight valiantly for the good of mankind and the destruction of evil wherever you may find it."

"But what do we do first?" Alistair asked, flexing his muscles, feeling more alive than he ever had before in his life.

"Draconus has sent a squad of his dragonoids to attack the castle," Othor informed them. They gathered closer to the pool and could see that Othor was showing them an image within the bubbling liquid. They could see a group of horrific lizard-men hybrid creatures swiftly making their way towards the village outside the castle. "You must stop them before they reach the king. They are attempting to steal a Gem that will help them unleash the underworld."

"My father!" Ella exclaimed in fear.

"Don't worry," Raven said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We won't let anything happen to him. We'll stop Draconus."

"Either that, or we'll be destroyed," Silas countered, raising an eyebrow.

"You must hurry, Rangers," Othor said. "There isn't much time."

"Just one question," Silas said, looking around, unsure where to look to speak directly to Othor. He decided to just face the pool. "How do we get out of here?"

"Imagine where you want to be, and the power will take you there," Othor explained.

"Right," Alistair said, nodding swiftly. He looked at the others, trying to gauge their expressions. A mixture of fear, excitement, worry and trepidation were what looked back at him. He felt the same way inside, but he knew he had to hide it. He had to keep control, so the others wouldn't be afraid. "Let's head back to the castle. Everyone concentrate."

They all closed their eyes, imagining King Elias's castle.

Within moments, swirling lights began to wrap around their bodies like mini tornadoes, and with a flash, they were gone.

"Good luck, Rangers," Othor whispered to himself.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	3. Chapter 3

EPISODE 3 – RETURN OF DRACONUS, PART 3

The newly formed Rangers appeared in a field just beyond the castle grounds, brilliantly sparkling lights surrounding their forms as they materialized. Wesley stumbled, almost losing his balance. Raven was there to help him keep his ground, flashing him a quick supporting smile. He rose to full height, regaining his composure.

"So what now, fearless leader?" Silas cracked, cocking his head towards Alistair.

Alistair grunted in minor annoyance.

"Let's find those creatures," he replied. "Othor said they were headed for the castle. We need to stop them before they get there. They might try and hurt people."

"We can't let anything happen to my father," Ella said worriedly. "If something happens to the king, Elnor might fall into disarray."

"Don't worry, Ella," Wesley said, trying to sound comforting. But he really just sounded scared. The truth of the matter was, they were all scared. They had just been confronted with a very terrifying truth – that real evil existed in this world, and it was coming straight for them. Luckily, they now had a weapon to fight back.

"Look!" Raven cried, pointing towards the hillside that led from the edge of the forest. The others followed her line of sight, and saw the squad of dragonoids swiftly making their way towards them, barreling down the hill in a v-formation, like a pack of snarling, angry wolves. They snarled and spat, their vicious claws glinting in the sunlight.

"This might be a bad time to tell you that I've never been trained in combat," Silas whimpered, warily watching the monsters approach. "I'm just a baker, after all."

"None of us know how to fight," Wesley added, his eyes wide and hopeless.

"Othor said the Ranger powers would help us," Ella pointed out. "Maybe we should transform."

"Ella's right," Alistair said firmly, nodding.

"Of course she is," Silas mumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes. Everyone chose to promptly ignore him.

"Alright, everyone," Alistair called as the dragonoids closed in. "Let's call upon the power of the Knight!"

He stood proudly, squaring his shoulders, ready for battle.

Wesley tapped him on the shoulder, and Alistair looked down at him, confused, the moment totally broken.

"Uh, how do we do that?" he mumbled nervously. "Exactly?"

Raven pushed forward, sidling up next to Alistair, chin raised.

"Yellow Knight Ranger power!" she called out, raising a fist to the heavens. In a crackling flash of bursting yellow light, she transformed, her armor clinking into place, instantly morphing her into a fierce warrior.

"Like that, I suppose," Silas observed, whistling approvingly.

"Lucky guess?" Raven spoke through her visor, shrugging. She turned swiftly in her armor, now seeing the world with new eyes – powerful eyes. "You guys might want to hurry up and follow suit. They're getting closer!"

"Red Knight Ranger power!" Alistair cried, his red armor appearing a moment later.

"Black Knight Ranger power!" Wesley flexed his arms, his armor smoothly following every movement.

"Blue Knight Ranger power!" Silas exclaimed, and he was engulfed by his own powerful suit. He cocked his head, feeling the power surge up within him.

"Pink Knight Ranger power!" Ella said last, morphing into the graceful pink plated armor that allowed her to move as fast as the wind.

As the power rose up in them all, instincts they never felt before bubbled up to the surface. Centuries old magic had been born within them all, unlocking all of the necessary skills to be a formidable warrior against evil.

They took on a fighter's stance, and as one, cried out:

"Ranger Knights, united we fight!"

Like a swarm of pests, the dragonoids fell upon them, crashing against the line of Rangers like an unstoppable tidal wave. They gnashed their jaws and sliced their claws, ravenous for destruction.

Alistair swiped his fist through the air, knocking a dragonoid to its knees. With a powerful front kick, he sent the creature tumbling backwards where it sprawled onto the ground, writhing in pain.

"This power is amazing!" he said, thrilled. "It's like nothing I've ever felt before!"

Raven held out an arm, clotheslining an oncoming dragonoid, sending it into a backwards somersault. She grabbed its ankle in mid-flight, yanking it back over her shoulder, sending it flying backwards over her head, where it landed in a crumpled heap.

"Oh, yes!" she exulted. "I could do this all day!"

Wesley came face to face with a screeching dragonoid and it latched onto his shoulders, its claws trying to dig through his onyx colored armor, but to no avail. The metal was too thick, and much too strong – invigorated with magic and power.

"I'm not Wesley the Wimp anymore!" he cried out jubilantly. He slapped his palms on the shoulders of the attacking beast, gripping tightly. He kneed it in the gut, then leapt into the air, sailing over the dragonoid's head, keeping his grasp on its shoulders. As he landed behind it, he pulled it over him in an overarching motion, sending the creature flying.

Nearby, Silas braced for impact as two dragonoids converged on him.

"Come on!" he whined. "Why do I get two at once?"

He released a roundhouse kick on the first lizard, causing it to stagger, dazed by the blow. He let loose a series of quick punches on the second to the chest and face, pushing it back to give him more room. He ducked low, spinning into a sweeping kick that sent the second beast falling to its back. He rose just in time to meet the first attacker with a head-butt to the chin, his dark blue helmet taking the impact.

"Baker boy – two; ugly monsters – zero," he exclaimed, slamming a metallic boot into the chest of the fallen dragonoid before him.

Ella cowered backwards behind the onslaught, her fear getting the best of her despite the rush of power that now coursed through her veins like electricity. Four dragonoids began to encircle her, growling and snapping their jaws, ready to destroy their newest prey.

"I…I don't know what to do!" she called out.

"Just trust your new instincts!" Alistair cried over to her, struggling to maintain a headlock on a squirming dragonoid.

Ella winced, her face paler than usual behind her protective pink helmet.

"Okay," she said tremulously. "Here goes nothing!"

She cleared her mind, letting out a long breath, then sprang into action, her fists and feet a flurry of movement. She spun and wove like a cyclone, dodging every attack the lizard creatures threw at her. Ella snap kicked one dragonoid and in the same moment, chopped into the neck of another with her open hand.

She grabbed the necks of the other two, smashing their skulls together.

"Hey, look!" Silas exclaimed from the other side of the field. "Our princess has a warrior inside of her, after all!"

Spurred on with newfound confidence, Ella pressed on and continued to battle.

* * *

Deep within the castle ruins on the far side of Elnor, Draconus approached his devilish bride who had uncovered one of her most treasured items. An enchanted mirror framed by the bones of their defeated enemies, which could show her anything she wanted to see.

And it was currently showing her their dragonoid warriors being thwarted by a very familiar looking foe. One they never thought they would have to come face to face with ever again, in this lifetime or the next.

"What is this?" Draconus bellowed, outraged.

"It's the Rangers," Lady Grave seethed, clutching the end of her meticulously braided hair with a vise-like grip. Her stark, craven features were warped with fury. She swirled to face her husband, eyes flashing red. "You said you destroyed them centuries ago! Liar!"

"They were destroyed!" Draconus insisted. "That rat-bellied hack of a sorcerer Othor must have had something up his sleeve. I should have known that he would plan for something like this!"

"Yes," Lady Grave agreed, turning back to glare at the vision before them on the spectral glass. "You should have known. But alas, nothing can be done about it now. So Othor has recruited a new batch of brats to fight us, hm?"

She approached the mirror, extending a deadly sharp fingernail to gently scrape against its surface. The images of the battle disappeared, replaced by thick, roiling fog. She began to trace out ancient symbols from the underworld upon the glass, murmuring the unholy words of a spell she had perfected ages ago.

"How about we bring back an old friend to greet them?" she suggested, laughing maniacally. Draconus chuckled, deep within his chest, his growls turning to laughter. The fog within the glass began to churn and boil, growing thicker and thicker, until it began to seep out of the mirror.

"Arise, Shadow Knight!" Draconus exclaimed, raising his arms in exultation.

The fog rose into a humanoid being, before snapping into place as a corporeal form. His armor was similar to that of the Rangers, made of burnt charcoal gray steel, his visor shaped into the visage of a snarling wolf.

He silently bowed his head to the two creatures before him in obedience.

"Go, Shadow Knight," Lady Grave ordered. "Do what you were created to do. Destroy the Rangers, my dear old friend."

"Wreak the vengeance we swore upon them centuries ago," Draconus added.

The Shadow Knight bowed, unleashing his Shadow Blade from its sheath, ready to enter into battle against his sworn enemies.

He began to march from the Mirror Chamber, but Lady Grave held out a hand to stop him, clutching his shoulder tightly. He silently cocked his head, awaiting her next order, ever the obedient slave.

"And Shadow Knight?" she said, sickly sweet. "Make it hurt."

Draconus grinned, his fangs glistening.

* * *

As the dragonoids attempted to recollect themselves from the battle, shaking off their injuries, the Rangers all regrouped, circling together. They were still surrounded on all sides, and the dragonoids didn't seem to be giving up.

"These things won't quit," Raven said sourly.

"What should we do?" Wesley asked.

"Call upon your weapons," Othor's voice rang out within each of their minds. "Each of you possesses a special weapon to aide you in your fight."

"Well, why didn't you say so?" Silas quipped.

Alistair searched through his mind, racing through all of the new thoughts and memories that were never available to him before he had become the Red Knight Ranger. A moment later, he found the answer.

"Follow my lead," he commanded. "Spirit of Courage – Red Knight Ranger Sword!"

In an instant, a mighty, red-hilted sword appeared in Alistair's hands, and he wielded it before him with ease, his new powers allowing him to handle the weapon perfectly.

"Spirit of Generosity," Raven called for her weapon. "Yellow Knight Ranger Daggers!" Twin golden bejeweled daggers crackled into existence within her hands, glinting in the sunlight like wickedly sharp fangs.

"Spirit of Justice – Blue Knight Ranger Mace!" Silas exclaimed. A midnight blue ball of spikes attached to a cobalt chain fell into his grip, and he began to spin it around his head with mighty thrusts.

"Spirit of Mercy!" Wesley cried, holding out his arms. "Black Knight Ranger Hammer!" A jade-colored double-sided hammer with curved horns on either end materialized within his grasp, and he swung it in a wide arc over his head.

"Spirit of Hope – Pink Knight Ranger Whip!" Ella called, a seemingly endless pink ribbon of leather extending from a white pommel appearing in her hand, slashing through the air before her.

"You guys ready for round two?" Silas taunted the encroaching dragonoids. He swirled his mace with even more force, ready to pummel the enemy.

A smoke-like wraith shot into the field out of thin air, zig-zagging around the dragonoids and heading straight for the Rangers. Before they could react, the crackling gray energy smashed against each of them, one by one, sending them flying backwards from the impact, sending sparks flying off their metallic armor.

The Shadow Knight emerged from the smoke, standing before the Rangers, silently brandishing his curved, scimitar-like Shadow Blade. The Rangers cowered at his feet, trying to crawl away from this newly arrived enemy.

"This ends now," the Shadow Knight said in a rough, gravelly voice.

"Who's that!?" Silas exclaimed, his mace hanging limply from his grip. The Rangers began to clamber to their feet, holding their weapons at the ready.

"I am the Shadow Knight," the gray warrior snarled. "And I am your destroyer."

"You can't stop us all!" Raven cried, preparing to charge forward, daggers flashing.

The Shadow Knight turned his blade towards her, shooting out a beam of stormy energy that crackled like smoke. It seared across Raven's chest, sending her flying back in a cloud of sparks. She landed in a crumpled heap nearly twenty feet away.

"Raven!" Wesley shouted, rushing to her side. Alistair stepped forward, arcing his Red Knight Sword before him in a flash of steel.

"Nice trick," he growled. "Now face me like a real warrior!"

Red and gray clashed as the two Knights met in battle, their swords lancing off one another as they traded blow after blow, parrying and dodging. Being a blacksmith, Alistair already felt comfortable around sword, and with the added Ranger magic rushing through him, he could fight with a blade with ease.

* * *

Across the field, Wesley helped Raven to her feet.

"Let's get rid of these lizard freaks, while Alistair handles the other guy," he suggested, brandishing his hammer.

"With pleasure," Raven agreed. The two of them burst into battle once more, their weapons smashing into dragonoids left and right. Silas glided by, swiping his mace into the back of another dragonoid's skull.

"These guys are getting kind of annoying, don't you think?" he asked, launching into a cartwheel, his mace spiraling up above him into the air. He landed a double kick to the chest of an awaiting dragonoid, then looked up into the sky. His mace sailed back down through the air, landing with a massive thud on the fallen creature's face. "That handles that!"

"Keep fighting!" Raven ordered, serious. "We need to cover for Alistair!"

* * *

Alistair and the Shadow Knight were still deep in combat.

"You're strong," Shadow Knight grunted as the two steel blades bit into each other, causing the two warriors to come face to face in a momentary stalemate. "I'm stronger!" He pushed forward on his blade, sending Alistair careening back, caught off balance.

"Alistair!" Ella screamed as the Red Knight Ranger fell backwards. She swooped in, sending her whip crackling through the air, where it wrapped around the hilt of the Shadow Knight's blade. "Let's see how you fight without your sword!"

She yanked, but the Shadow Knight grabbed hold of the whip with his free hand, sending a shockwave of his gray energy beams through it, colliding with the Pink Knight Ranger in a flurry of explosive sparks, sending her sprawling.

A band of dragonoids descended upon her, holding her in place. She struggled to escape their clutches, but they had outnumbered her.

"It's time to finish this, once and for all," the Shadow Knight intoned, walking towards the fallen Red Knight Ranger before him. "To be honest with you, I thought you would have put up more of a fight. Your predecessors were far stronger than you. It will be so easy to retrieve the Gem once you are out of my way."

"We aren't finished yet," Alistair grunted.

* * *

Draconus and Lady Grave watched with intensity as their beloved Shadow Knight rallied against the Rangers. The Mirror Chamber echoed with the sounds of their battle and the clang of weaponry against steel.

"Shadow Knight is right," Draconus growled. "We need to end this. It's time for you to raise the stakes, my dear."

"I thought you'd never ask," Lady Grave simpered, grinning maliciously. "Once the Shadow Knight becomes a Colossal, the Rangers won't stand a chance."

Lady Grave shoved her hands into the mirror, energy crackling all around her body as she sent the enchantment through.

"Those pitiful excuses for Rangers are done for," Draconus cackled.

* * *

The dragonoids holding Ella were knocked away by Silas, Raven and Wesley, freeing her from her grasp. The four of them quickly dispatched them with their newly discovered weapons. The beasts were incapacitated within moments.

"Are you okay?" Wesley asked.

"Don't worry about me – look!" Ella cried, pointing towards Alistair and the Shadow Knight just yards away from where they stood.

A storm of red and black energy beams began to surround the Shadow Knight, and he screamed in what sounded like a mixture of agony and ecstasy as he was suddenly grown into a towering, gigantic version of himself.

"I AM COLOSSAL!" he screamed.

The Rangers raced forward, helping Alistair to his feet once more. They stared up into the face of the Shadow Knight, what seemed like miles above them. One of his charcoal-gray boots smashed into the ground, sending tremors through the earth. The Rangers all swayed and bobbed, nearly losing their balance.

"How did he do THAT?" Silas shouted, horrified.

"Not even these weapons can fight against something like that!" Ella exclaimed, holding her whip weakly before her.

"Rangers," Othor's voice once again resounded within their minds. "I feared this inevitable outcome. You must call upon the spirits of your sigils – the source of the powers you each have inherited. Centuries ago, I channeled their essence into magically powered assault vehicles that will aide you in your quest. The Knight Ranger Zords are at your command!"

"Zords?" Wesley echoed, confused.

"Remember," Alistair said quickly. "Our memories have been altered. We know what to do, we just have to remember!"

"I think I've got it," Raven said, nodding.

"Me too," Silas concurred.

"Let's do this!" Wesley said, pumping his fist in excitement. They got into formation, raising their gloved fists to the sky.

TO BE CONCLUDED IN PART 4…


	4. Chapter 4

EPISODE 4 – RETURN OF DRACONUS, PART 4

The colossal sized Shadow Knight loomed above the Rangers as they prepared to summon their Zords for the very first time.

"Red Chimera Knight Zord power!" Alistair howled. From a distant mountainside, the Chimera Zord exploded, covered in red and black metallic armor, its lion head roaring in fury, the goat head directly behind it clamping into place with a mechanical snap. Its whip-like serpentine tail clicked and whirred with clockwork precision, hissing.

"Blue Basilisk Knight Zord power!" Silas shouted, summoning his own Zord. The Basilisk Zord swam out of a hidden lake within a faraway cavern, its mechanical jaws snapping like a trap. Its segmented blue body swiveled, propelling it forward with the power of steam and magic.

"Yellow Roc Knight Zord power!" Raven screamed. The Roc Zord emerged from a canopy of trees, a massive, golden-plated mechanical eagle, its serrated beak opening to release a resounding screech.

"Black Gargoyle Knight Zord power!" Wesley called. The ruins of an ancient castle long-forgotten erupted as the Gargoyle Zord burst from the wreckage, its black steel wings flapping in perfect symphony, its eyes glowing a deep burning orange from within.

"Pink Pegasus Knight Zord power!" Ella cried, calling forth her own vehicle. The heavens parted, clouds spilling apart as the graceful Pegasus Zord soared into sight, its pink titanium wingspan reaching nearly fifty feet, its mechanical hooves pounding across the sky as if it were galloping through a field.

The Rangers watched in awe as their Zords converged upon them.

"These Zords are incredible!" Alistair exclaimed, feeling a rush of excitement. The Shadow Knight had been a tough customer so far, but with weapons like these to fight against him, they were sure to win this battle.

"Look at my Basilisk!" Silas said, pointing like a little kid. "He's clearly the coolest!"

"Let's see what these things can do!" Raven cried. Using their power of teleportation, the Rangers propelled themselves into the cockpits of their own respective Zords.

"Chimera Zord, powered up," Alistair confirmed, grabbing the controls.

"Basilisk Zord, ready for action," Silas said gleefully.

"Roc Zord, all systems go," Raven reported.

"Gargoyle Zord here," Wesley chimed in. "The view from here is amazing!"

"Pegasus Zord, flying high," Ella exclaimed.

The Zords began to encircle the Shadow Knight, who watched the proceedings warily, his Shadow Blade primed and ready.

"Those clanking piles of gears and metal don't stand a chance against me!" he snarled, slashing his blade, now as tall as a castle tower, through the air. It connected against one of the Pegasus Zord's wings, sending it spiraling.

"I've been hit!" Ella cried, steering in another direction.

"Hold tight, Ella," Alistair called to her. "I'm going in!"

He maneuvered the Chimera Zord into a battle stance before the Shadow Knight, and it reared up on its hind legs. The front paws lashed out towards the Shadow Knight's chest, scraping down his front. The hissing serpent tail arced over its back, snapping its jaws at the Shadow Knight's visor.

"I'm right behind you, Alistair!" Raven sent the Roc Zord into a dive, heading straight for the Shadow Knight's head. The Roc screamed, sending reverberating echoes through the air, shattering against the Shadow Knight's helmet. He stumbled backwards, but the blunt edge of his sword slammed into the side of the Roc Zord.

"Raven, I've got you!" Wesley called from within the Gargoyle Zord. Its mighty, ape-like black arms grasped onto the tail of the flailing Roc Zord, allowing it to upright itself so Raven could send it flying back up into the air.

"Thanks, Wes!" the Yellow Ranger gasped out.

"Basilisk Zord, coming in hot!" Silas announced, slithering into place behind the Shadow Knight. The gears within shifted, allowing the upper body of the serpentine mechanical beast to lift upright. Its jaws opened, revealing row upon row of sharp, glittering steel teeth dripping with paralyzing venom. "My bite is definitely worse than my bark!"

He launched the Basilisk's jaws into the back of the Shadow Knight's neck, releasing the toxic venom.

"Way to go, Silas!" Ella cheered, having regained control of the Pegasus Zord. She flew towards the Shadow Knight, kicking out her front hooves, sending the temporarily frozen villain into a wide fall.

"I think I know how to finish this," Alistair called to them from the Chimera Zord. "There's a sequence in my Zord that mentions a combination process. We can combine all of our Zords together!"

"One giant Megazord!" Silas exclaimed, pumping his fist.

"Knight Ranger Megazord sequence, activate!" Alistair commanded. At once, all of the Zords began to move in tandem, preparing to combine as one into a massive, lethal fighting machine.

The Chimera Zord's limbs folded into the body, the serpent tail releasing itself from its place on its back. The lion head folded into its chest, and the goat head opened its jaws to reveal a new face – the face of the Megazord.

The Basilisk Zord rose up to its full height, bending in half to form two legs, connecting to the bottom of the Chimera to make a waist. The Basilisk's head became one foot, another one folding out from its tail.

The Gargoyle and Roc Zords each folded in on themselves, forming arms, attaching to either side of the Chimera. The Pegasus Zord sailed in from behind, its legs and head sliding within its body, attaching itself to the Megazord's back, lending its massive wingspan to the combined Zord's newly formed body.

All of the Rangers were now transported into the main Megazord cockpit, controlling various parts of the massive machine from their own individual seats. As they gained control of their respective Zords formed anew, they called out in unison:

"Knight Ranger Megazord – power up!"

The serpent tail of the Chimera Zord soared down from out of the sky, forming a blade for the Megazord to wield against its enemies.

"Unimpressed," the Shadow Knight said in his gravelly voice. "I'll still end you before you ever even began."

"Chimera Serpent Sword – attack!" Alistair commanded.

The Megazord launched forward, slicing the Serpent Sword towards the Shadow Knight, blazing red energy blasting out of its open jaws. The Shadow Knight stumbled backwards, the blows glancing off his nearly impenetrable armor.

"Pitiful," the Shadow Knight Grumbled. He leveled the Shadow Blade at the Megazord, sending out an onslaught of gray and black lightning bolts that sizzled and shrieked. The Megazord was hit, hard, and fell back several paces, nearly dropping the Serpent Sword. "Your Zords are no match for me!"

"We'll see about that," Raven cried defiantly. "Alistair – look at these controls. There's a Final Strike sequence. If we use that, we can destroy this creep forever!"

"Let's do it, before he hits us again!" Silas said in agreement.

"On three," Ella suggested.

"One, two," Alistair said, preparing the sequence on the controls before him.

"THREE!" all of the Rangers bellowed as one.

"Serpent Sword – Final Strike!" Alistair commanded.

The Megazord held the Serpent Sword high, gathering all of the mythical energy of the Ranger Knights to deliver one, final blow.

"I don't think so!" the Shadow Knight snarled, leaping forward, parrying the Serpent Sword out of the Megazord's grasp, but the gathered energy was too much for him to bear, and he was flung over a hundred feet through the air, sparks and blasts of energy coursing in all directions as the energy was misfired.

The Shadow Knight fell to his knees, large gouges ripped through his armor.

"So your power is one to be reckoned with, after all," he gasped out, clutching his wounded armor. "Perhaps you may end up becoming a worthy adversary. We will continue this another time, Rangers!"

In a blast of smoke and energy, the Shadow Knight disappeared, leaving the Megazord standing alone in the now deserted field. It lowered its weapon, going into a momentary stasis mode, a silent sentry.

"He got away!" Raven cried, outraged, pounding her controls.

"This time, maybe," Alistair said softly. "But we almost had him, and he knew it. That's why he ran away. Next time, he won't be able to stop us."

"You've got that right," Silas agreed, saluting Alistair. "He packed a mighty punch, but at the end of the day, he knew he couldn't face us!"

"We'll get him," Ella said earnestly. "We'll stop him. And Draconus. No one is going to try to come and steal something from MY castle!"

The Rangers whooped and hollered, clapping each other on the backs.

"Uh, guys?" Wesley asked from his seat in the cockpit, interrupting the celebration. The other Rangers turned their attention to him as he cocked his head quizzically. "So…how do we get down from here?"

The other Rangers could only laugh in response.

* * *

The Shadow Knight sullenly marched into the Mirror Chamber deep within the bowels of Draconus's destroyed castle. Lady Grave turned from her enchanted mirror, scowling. She curled her fists, her claw-like nails digging into her palms.

"How could you let those pathetic excuses for Rangers nearly defeat you?" she howled, electric power bristling around her body like a deadly aura. She was positively brimming with unspent anger, ready to unleash it upon anyone who dared cross her path.

"Take solace in the fact, dear and vile friend, that you were bested by a group of sniveling teenagers," Draconus sneered, his fangs gnashing in his jaws.

"They won't get the chance to strike me again," Shadow Knight promised.

"You're right," Draconus replied, grabbing the dark warrior by the neck. "Because you won't be facing the Rangers again any time soon. I think you will be placed in the torture chamber for a time, so you can think about the mistakes you made and relive your failure over and over."

The Shadow Knight shivered involuntarily.

"But, my Lord, please…," the spectral Knight whimpered.

"You dare question your master?" Lady Grave shouted, marching up next to her husband, poking a dagger-like talon in his face.

"Never," Shadow Knight insisted, bowing his head.

"That's more like it," Lady Grave said, giggling maniacally. She waved her arms through the air, drawing an incantation, sending the Shadow Knight to the torture chambers in a flash of crackling black and red energy beams.

Draconus lowered his clawed hand, turning to look at his bride.

"Our power supply will soon run out," he told her. "Unless we can retrieve the Gem of Attrax, our mission will fail. Our connection to the underworld is tenuous at best. These Rangers may prove more worrisome than we initially thought."

Lady Grave caressed the rough, scaly surface of Draconus's cheek.

"Don't fret, my love," she whispered. "If the Rangers want a fight, we'll give it to them. It will only make destroying them that much sweeter in the end. Oh, the pain and destruction we will rain down upon them. They'll wish they were never born."

"I knew I married you for a reason," Draconus bellowed, laughing gutturally.

Lady Grave turned her attention back to the enchanted mirror, watching as the Rangers whooped for joy at their supposed victory over the Shadow Knight, so seemingly safe within their precious little Megazord.

"We'll rip them apart, piece by piece," she murmured to herself, grinning maliciously.

* * *

Back in Othor's underground chamber, the Rangers were back to their normal selves, having shed their armor and sending their Zords back into slumber for the next time they would need to call upon them.

"Did you see that?" Silas cried, slapping Wesley excitedly on the back as they gathered before Othor's pool, chattering animatedly amongst themselves, still high on the adrenaline from their battle. "We were amazing!"

"I still can't quite believe it," Wesley replied, wincing as he rubbed his shoulder.

"You fought valiantly, Rangers," Othor said approvingly, his voice echoing throughout the cavernous chamber. "I knew you would rise to the occasion."

"This is just the beginning though, isn't it?" Raven asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I definitely have a feeling we'll be seeing more of Draconus and his goons," Ella said agreeably, nodding. "The Shadow Knight seemed pretty determined about stealing that Gem from the castle."

"I'm afraid you're correct," Othor confirmed. "Draconus and Lady Grave will not give up until either their mission succeeds or they are finally destroyed once and for all."

"We'll make sure that's what happens," Alistair said defiantly.

"Who knows what they'll throw at us next," Raven pointed out, hating to be a pessimist despite the fact that they were all feeling so great about making it through their first major fight against evil relatively unscathed.

"Draconus may be cut off from the underworld, but Lady Grave still possesses untold dark and evil magic," Othor told the Rangers, a tone of caution in his disembodied voice. "She will be able to summon all manner of horrific beasts to do their bidding in their quest to take over and destroy all of Elnor."

"Then we'll just have to make sure we stop it," Wesley said, looking at all of the other Rangers for their consent. Alistair nodded, smiling supportively at the smaller, wiry newly minted Black Knight Ranger.

"Wesley's right," he said. "Now that we have these powers, we'll make sure to keep our world safe, no matter what it takes."

"What do we tell everyone else in the kingdom?" Ella asked. "I'm sure the royal court will have questions. My father will want to prepare for war. He'll want to protect the castle and all of Elnor at all costs."

"Your positions as Knight Rangers must be a guarded secret," Othor explained. "No one must know that you bear this great power. You will have to maintain your normal lives as much as possible whenever you are not battling Draconus and his forces."

"We won't tell anyone," Silas said, chuckling. "Who would even believe us?"

"We'll find a way to ease the king's mind," Alistair said comfortingly, placing a gentle hand on Ella's shoulder. She clasped his hand, smiling weakly.

"So what do we do next?" Raven asked their mentor.

"We wait," Othor said, almost sighing. "We are permanently connected in our minds, now that the Ranger powers have awakened within you. I will contact you telepathically when a threat should arise."

"Looks like it's back to the kitchens for us," Silas said to Raven, elbowing her gently.

"And I guess I'm going to need to have a talk with my father," Ella said worriedly.

"I suppose I'll go back to work at the blacksmith, like usual," Alistair added. Everyone turned to look at Wesley who was awkwardly shuffling his feet, looking down.

"I'm not sure where I'll go," he murmured. "My father told me to never return when I left to go to the festival. I don't have anywhere else to go."

"You can come with me," Alistair said immediately. "My family has a spare cot. We can make room for you with us."

Wesley looked up, grinning ear to ear.

"You mean it?" he cried.

"Hey, we're Rangers now," Alistair said. "We have to stick together."

As they continued to talk and laugh together with their newfound friends and leader, the Rangers spent the next several hours getting to know each other. They knew that there would be many battles to come in the future. But they were all confident about one thing:

They would win.

NEXT EPISODE COMING SOON!


	5. Chapter 5

EPISODE 5 – MADE OF STONE, PART 1

Embers crackled in the fire pit as Alistair banged his hammer upon a glowing orange-red jagged piece of metal that would eventually become a sword. He had been working on this particular piece for a couple of days now, patiently crafting the fine metal into a fiercely shaped blade that would belong to one of the king's guards.

"Keep the fires strong," his father, Lewis, said to him from across their family's blacksmith shop. Alistair complied, swiping a handful of coals from a nearby basket, dumping them into the pit, stoking the flames with a poker. "The flames must be at their hottest to forge the blade the most effectively."

"Yes, father," Alistair replied, keeping his shoulders straight as he continued to work. Lewis had just walked inside from delivering a new heap of metal scraps, a parchment of paper dangling from his front shirt pocket with the various orders made to them from around the kingdom, including those from King Elias, himself.

Ever since "the incident", as the people of the kingdom were referring to it, the king had ordered that as many of the townspeople as possible should arm themselves and be prepared for another attack like the one that had happened at the festival several weeks earlier when the kingdom was due to celebrate the groundbreaking of Princess Ella's personal castle. The kingdom of Elnor had been on edge ever since, to say the least.

"You're doing great work, my son," Lewis said, nodding approvingly as he inspected the sword Alistair was busily preparing. He made his way over to his work bench and let the metal scraps clatter to the ground beside him, near a pile that was already growing. He spread out his parchment upon his table, inspecting the orders with a pair of ill-fitting spectacles that he refused to have fixed. "We've never been in this much demand before. I'd say we are close to being able to pay our rent early this month!"

"That's wonderful, father," Alistair responded, not even looking up from his work. He longed for the chance to be able to tell his father about what was really going on in Elnor. He wanted to tell him that a centuries old wizard warrior had been unleashed upon them, swearing revenge on the land that had imprisoned him hundreds of years ago. He wanted to tell him that he, Alistair, along with several other young people from the kingdom, had been secretly chosen to fight Draconus and his evil forces and protect their world.

But, alas, he couldn't tell him anything.

He couldn't tell anyone that he was now the Red Knight Ranger, leader of the team sworn to battle evil and keep their kingdom safe. Othor, an ancient benevolent being, had entrusted him and his comrades to keep their identities a secret in order to maintain the honor and trust of the Ranger powers within them. Alistair was never one to brag or be vain, but he knew how proud his father would be to know what he was doing. How he was fighting to keep everyone safe.

"Now where on earth could that boy be," Lewis was mumbling, glancing out a nearby window. He was busily checking his inventory as he reviewed the latest orders, humming softly to himself as he ran through the lists, line by line. "Nice boy. Very kind-hearted. But not exactly a work-horse."

"The boy" would be Wesley, the Black Knight Ranger – an orphan as far as anyone in the kingdom was concerned, seeing as his identity as a Ranger was also a closely guarded secret. Ever since being disowned by his family, Wesley had been staying with Alistair and his family in their spare room, and had begun working for them as an apprentice in the shop. Alistair helped him as much as possible to get used to his new duties, but as a cobbler, Wesley was used to a far different environment.

"I'm here!" Wesley cried, huffing and puffing, his cheeks red and flushed from exertion. He was carrying a giant basket filled to the gills with supplies, and on his back was strapped another basket, nearly overflowing with more coal to feed the fires. He was a small, wiry kid with lanky limbs and hair as black as a raven's wing. "I'm here!"

He nearly tripped on a loose stone in the floor, barely recovering his stance before the entire basket in his hands slipped and could spill their contents. He righted himself, standing ramrod straight, but the weight of the basket strapped to his back then started to cause him to tumble backwards. He winced, gasping, then pivoted his feet so he was standing with his legs shoulder-width apart, leaning against a support column to stop his fall.

Alistair watched him with a wry grin, suppressing a chuckle. Wesley had many wonderful qualities and had proven himself to be a great Ranger; however, keeping his balance wasn't always his strongest suit.

"Do you need some help, Wesley?" Alistair asked, biting his lip to stop himself from laughing.

"I think I'll manage," Wesley huffed, heaving the overloaded basket of supplies onto a nearby empty space on another work counter. He sighed heavily, unstrapping the basket of coal from his back.

Lewis looked up from his lists, peering at Wesley over the rims of his glasses that desperately needed adjusting.

"Ah, good, good," Lewis mumbled. "You're here, now. Begin sorting all of the supplies and place them where they belong. That's a good boy."

Wesley scurried to follow his orders and Alistair pulled the nearly formed blade from the shifting embers, the flames sighing and dancing around the white-hot steel.

"It's been awfully quiet, don't you think?" Wesley asked Alistair and his father as he ran back and forth across the shop, unloading the supplies.

"Yes, yes," Lewis said absentmindedly, too focused on his own work.

"It has been," Alistair agreed. And that is what worried him. What could Draconus be planning? There hadn't been a peep from him since they sent the Shadow Knight retreating from battle weeks ago. Alistair just knew that there had to be something in the works, and it was only a matter of time before the next step of the dragon master's vile plan was revealed.

"We'll be ready for them, next time," Lewis said, nodding sagely. "Next time some stranger comes and tries to attack our kingdom, the entire village will be armed and ready. We'll make sure to see to that."

"Of course, father," Alistair said, banging his hammer against the blade. But Alistair wondered: would they really be ready?

* * *

Far across the land, beyond the forest, on the other side of a great mountain range, deep within the windswept desert, Draconus's castle sat in ruins, buffeted by wind and sand. A thousand years ago, the castle had been attacked by Othor and his followers. Ever since Draconus and his horde had been thought to have been vanquished forever, the castle had sat in eerie silence.

Now, however, its master had returned, and the halls rang with the screams of Draconus's tortured victims and the constant footsteps of his slaves as they raced through the castle to follow any order their master decreed.

Deep within the bowels of the castle was the Mirror Chamber, Lady Grave's most favorite place. There, she could watch the enchanted mirror framed by the bones of their destroyed enemies, keeping an eye on anything she wished to see. She could also use the mirror to summon creatures from the underworld to do her bidding. If only they could retrieve the Gem of Attrax, they would be one step closer to allowing the portal to work both ways.

It would also supply them with enough power to raise an army once more.

"Draconus, my love!" Lady Grave called out shrilly, stroking the side of her enchanted mirror softly with one black leather gloved hand. Her long, flowing black hair was tightly woven by leather straps, dangling over her shoulder and reaching nearly to her knees. With her free hand, she gently caressed her hair, one of her most prized possessions next to the mirror. "I have the most hideous idea!"

Draconus stormed into the Mirror Chamber, two sniveling dragonoids at his heels, silently following their creator and leader, awaiting his every command. Draconus's mighty footsteps rang throughout the chamber, his clawed feet scraping the rough-hewn stone with each step he took.

"I was in the middle of my daily torture routine," he bellowed, clutching a nasty three-pronged blade in his scaly fingers. "This had better be good."

Lady Grave spun from the mirror, where she had been spying upon the Red Knight Ranger and his family, grinning maliciously.

"The entire kingdom of Elnor seems to be preparing for war, my sweet destroyer," Lady Grave simpered, coiling a finger underneath the dragon master's pointed reptile chin. "The Red Knight Ranger is working to supply all of the helpless villagers with weaponry."

"What's your point?" Draconus snarled. One of the dragonoids got a little too close to their master, and he lashed out with the wicked blade in his hand, slashing it across the creature's shoulder, causing it to leap back and cry out in pain.

"My point, darling," Lady Grave said pointedly, "is that we must summon a creature that will withstand the arms of the kingdom. Something that can slip past all of their weaponry and survive a siege of the castle."

"I'm listening," Draconus growled, narrowing his eyes.

"The troll monster has impenetrable skin of stone," Lady Grave told him, her eyes becoming glowing red slits. "Its size and brute strength will be able to easily overpower the weak people of Elnor and storm the castle to retrieve our Gem. Even the Rangers' weapons will be powerless against it."

"Ah, yes, the troll," Draconus remembered. "A dreadful monster, no doubt. He will rip the Rangers to shreds. Summon him at once!"

Lady Grave smiled, but it was not a gesture of pleasure or affection. It was one of darkness and rage.

She turned to her mirror, slowly raking one long, sharp nail down its surface. She began to invoke the spell that would call forth the troll from the underworld. Once he arrived in Elnor, there would be no force that would be able to stop him.

* * *

The throne room of King Elias's castle was a throng of activity as guards, advisors and members of royalty were gathered to discuss the arming of the kingdom. Princess Ella sat alongside her father in her own smaller throne, nervously twiddling her fingers as her father spoke to person after person, his cheeks bright red.

"Have the villagers been informed of the new curfew?" King Elias inquired of his Head Guard, an older man with a wispy gray-white beard by the name of Issac.

"Yes, your highness," Issac replied, bowing slightly. "When the sun begins its descent, all the people of the village are to return to their homes and bolt their doors."

"Very good," Elias approved. "And have the blacksmiths been given their necessary supplies to keep up with the demands?"

"The coal miners have been working double shifts," the head miner reported, nervously kicking some stray pieces of dust away from his feet. "They have been forging steel day and night, your highness, and we've been delivering mounds of coal."

"Excellent," Elias said, nodding.

"Is all of this really necessary?" Ella asked, piping in. Everyone's attention instantly went to her, and the princess nervously shifted in her seat, smoothing down the front of her gown that her handmaidens had so carefully dressed her in that morning. She coughed quietly, clearing her throat, casting her eyes sidelong towards her father.

"My dear," Elias said patiently, looking over at her. "You saw what happened at the groundbreaking festival. The kingdom was attacked. We have to be prepared. There are even rumors that a rebel force may strike the castle once again."

"But father, we discussed this -," Ella started, but she was interrupted.

"I know what you said," the king cut her off, though not unkindly. "But your tales of a brightly colored force fighting back against this rebel army does not sit well with me. Perhaps they are just more enemies to be wary of. In any case, I am doubling – no tripling – our security of the castle, and adding more patrols to the village and the kingdom at large. We will be taking on a new squadron of guards to keep up with this."

Ella sat back in her throne, sighing softly. Why couldn't she just tell her father that she was the Pink Knight Ranger and that she, Alistair and the others had this under control? Now her father was of the belief that the Rangers might be enemies as well. If only she could convince him that the Rangers were nothing to fear, but were only there to help the kingdom and keep people safe.

"I just think it's a bit extreme, is all," she mumbled weakly.

King Elias gave his daughter a comforting look, and patted her on the hand gently.

"Don't worry your mind over these matters, my dear princess," he said softly, so only she could hear him. "You needn't focus on these details. These are matters of war, meant for knights and guards."

"But what about the villagers?" Ella countered, keeping her voice down as well. "None of them have been trained how to properly wield a weapon. What if one of them hurts themselves by mistake?"

Elias clicked his scepter on the marble floor to get everyone's attention.

"Training!" he cried, struck by his daughter's words. He motioned to Issac and the other guards gathered before him. "We must commence daily weapons training in the village. Our people must know how to defend themselves."

"Won't we need more men for this job, your highness?" Issac inquired.

"Then find more men," Elias retorted. "We will keep Elnor safe, if it's the last thing I do. I won't let a rascally group of outsiders threaten my kingdom!"

"Of course, my king," Issac replied obediently, taking his fellow guards with him out of the throne room to continue their work.

"That is all for now," King Elias decreed, waving his hand in dismissal. "Everyone go back to your work. We will reconvene tomorrow to discuss updates."

With that, everyone instantly fled from the king's chambers, rushing into other parts of the castle to carry on with the jobs that had been assigned to them. Ella sank back in her chair, feeling defeated. She was going to need to think of something, and fast, or else the entire kingdom would become so paranoid they might end up in worse trouble than before.

"You see, Ella?" Elias said soothingly. "A job for everyone, and everyone doing their job. Everything is going to be just fine. You just sit tight in the castle and worry about being a princess. We have everything under control."

"Yes, your highness," Ella said, but she didn't agree at all.

* * *

As the sun began its slow descent over the deserted stables within the castle grounds, Ella had called for all of the Rangers to meet her there to discuss current events. It was easy for them all to converge, as they simply had to use their newfound teleportation powers to zip into the same place. Ella had simply made sure the stables would be empty, save the horses inside, freshly combed and fed and ready for a night of slumber.

"And now, he wants to begin weapons training in the village," Ella finished recanting the story to her gathered teammates. They had all silently watched the princess from various perches in the stable, letting her catch them up to date.

"So that's what all of the orders are coming from for more swords," Alistair pointed out, to which Ella nodded the affirmative.

"They'll start recruiting more guards soon," Raven noted, brushing a few stray blond hairs from her face that were caked with grease and flour at their tips. "It's going to get harder and harder for us to sneak around the kingdom with them patrolling everywhere."

"Can't we just tell Othor that we can't keep our identities secret?" Silas suggested, lounging on a bale of tightly woven hay.

"I don't think he would go for that," Wesley replied, leaning against a wooden support beam, massaging his sore arms from working all day.

"We have to come up with something," Ella insisted.

"Maybe I could volunteer to become a guard," Alistair suggested, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sure they'd take just about anyone right now who was willing to join. They'll need every available body. I could keep watch of the training in the village and make sure no one gets injured."

"You would love that," Silas cracked. "You get to boss us around all day as Rangers and then you'd get to boss around the whole village after that."

"I'm nobody's boss," Alistair bristled. "But someone has to be a leader."

"Watch it, Silas," Raven warned from nearby.

"Okay, okay," Silas said, waving his hands in front of him in mock surrender. "I promise I'll behave from now on."

"I think we should be more focused on what Draconus has up his sleeve next," Wesley said warily, eyes tinged with worry.

"He must be planning something," Raven said, curling her palms into fists. "I just wish he'd make a move so we could take the fight to him."

"Maybe they should make you a guard," Silas said with a chuckle.

"I don't see you volunteering," Raven shot back. Alistair came in between the two of them, holding out his arms to keep them separated.

"Listen!" he cried. "This is exactly what Draconus and Lady Grave want. They want us to turn on each other so we won't be as effective of a team. We have to stick together if this is going to work."

"Alistair's right," Wesley said firmly, nodding.

"Of course he is," Silas murmured, picking at a stray piece of hay. Alistair whirled on him, pointing a finger into his face.

"You got a problem with me?" he demanded.

Silas rose into a sitting position, grinning lopsidedly.

"No problem," he answered. "I just think you think you're this big perfect macho leader guy, and the rest of us are just your followers."

"You don't really think that?" Wesley asked Alistair softly. "Do you?"

Alistair calmed down, lowering his arms.

"Of course not," he replied slowly, taking several deep breaths. He had to learn how to not let Silas's little jabs get at him. He was like a court jester, always making jokes. Most of them were not meant to do any harm, but sometimes they could cut deep. "We're a team. Each of us was chosen for a reason."

"Exactly," Ella said sharply, eyeing Silas. "So let's not forget that. Othor told us that we all embody the spirit of the Knight. I suggest we all remember that."

Properly admonished, Silas clamped his mouth shut and leaned back.

"So that's it," Raven declared. "Alistair, you'll join the guards and keep track of the training sessions in the village. The rest of us will keep our eyes and ears open for any other developments. And as soon as Draconus pops his head out of whatever stink-hole he's hiding in, we'll take him down."

Alistair nodded, still trying to maintain his annoyance of Silas and keep a calm exterior for the rest of the team. He knew that all of the pressure was on his shoulders to be the leader of this team, and he just hoped that they would be able to pull together and set aside any of their differences when the time came.

Alistair had a feeling that time would be coming very soon.

* * *

On the outskirts of the village surrounding King Elias's castle, several townsfolk were rushing to head back to their homes from their day's work. A trio of coal miners were huddled together, covered in dust and soot, wearily treading down the path from the caves where they worked every day, making their way back to the village.

"The sun is nearly set," one of the miners pointed out. "We must hurry, if we intend on getting back into our homes before dark!"

"This new curfew stinks," another one whined. "I hate having to rush like this! I don't know if I even properly stored all of my equipment back at the cave."

"We'll worry about that tomorrow," a third said worriedly. "Didn't you hear about what happened at the festival? Somebody said there were monsters attacking the kingdom."

"I didn't know you believed in fairy tales," the first miner teased, chuckling.

Something rustled in the bushes nearby them, causing the men to stop in their tracks, visions of deadly monsters and mysterious attackers dancing around in their brains. The dying rays of sunlight cast long, oddly shaped shadows that seemed to stretch for miles. The bushes moved once more, then stayed silent.

"Probably just an animal," the second miner said, shrugging.

"Or maybe a monster," the first miner said, waving his fingers around as if they were claws. "Come to snatch you up and take you away!"

With a vicious, inhuman growl, the bushes parted and an enormous creature that seemed to be made of living stone burst forth, its eyes burning like fiery embers. Its massive, stone slab hands were outstretched, waiting to clasp onto its next victim. The three men tried to all run in different directions, but the stone beast was much too fast for them, despite its enormous size and girth. It moved swiftly and silently, like a trained warrior.

It sideswiped one of the men, sending him flailing, then grabbed the other two in each of its gigantic fists, holding them in a viselike grip, their bones threatening to snap beneath the increasing pressure.

"Let us go!" one of the men cried, barely getting the words out.

"DESTROY!" the troll beast screamed, and tossed the two men like dolls. They landed in haphazard heaps far behind the creature, who turned on the path and continued its journey ever closer to the village that was quickly descending into darkness.

TO BE CONTINUED…


End file.
